Pick up some of these items at your local Dollar Store, keep everything confined in a box in your trunk or under one of your seats, and you will be ready when car chaos hits.

•LED flashlight: A flashlight is essential in any emergency, and an LED lasts just about forever.

•Bungee cords: Along with keeping back-hatches and doors closed in a pinch, bungee cords also help keep things in place inside your vehicle.

•Crossword puzzle: Keep yourself occupied without running down the battery of your phone with a word search or crossword puzzle.

•Aspirin: Having a car emergency is a headache in itself, so having a stash of aspirin makes things better.

•Glow sticks: Popping a few glow sticks in your emergency kit helps light your location at night.

•Super absorbent towel: Made with spills in mind, tucking a superabsorbent towel in your kit soaks up liquids in an emergency. And you can also put it on the windshield of your car, especially over the driver's side, to keep ice from forming while you wait.

Don’t forget to keep a blanket in your car and some water too. If you are stranded for awhile both might be needed.

By the way, there are additional clever ideas. Go on over to PopSugar where you can find more tips and tricks, things to make your life a bit easier, should you experience an inevitable automotive breakdown.

For our money, the Dollar Store is our friend in the time of emergency!